Material-handling apparatus



June 30, 1925.

'B. s, SNOW MATERIAL HANDIJING' APPARATUS Filed Noy'. 24, 1922 4 sheets sheet 1 i2 ViZ/I jar an (5720a; W

4 Sheats- Sheet 2 June 30, 1925. B. S. SNOW MATERIAL HANDLING AEPARATUS Filed Nov. 24, 1922 Wwig June 30, 1925.

B. s; SNOW I MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24, 1932 4 'Sheets+She et 5 June 30, 1925. 1,544,279

- B. s. SNOW MATERIAL HANDLIIG APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24,1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ggi &

H'r Q 2 r W .9

' azziw Patented June 30,1925.

STATES BARTON s. snow, or ZBAEJA-VIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOT. snow oons'rRuomIoN CO., 013 CHICAGQ, ILLINOIS, A G.ORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

. MAT I L- A DL NG emanates.-

Application filed. November 24, 1922 Serial fig, 603,909. I

My invention, as to. one phase thereof.-

relates to material-handling apparatus of the type wherein the material is operated on intermittently to move it from one location to another, as in the case of apparatus employing hoisting buckets supported to reciprocate in an upwardly-extending path,

as distinguished from continually receiving and movingthe material as would be the case with an endless conveyor. In apparatus operating on the principle first above stated, the load imposed upon the power device which operates the apparatus, is non-uniform, the work to be done by the power device being greater in the movement of the bucket in one direction than in the other,

One of the objects of my invention and. which applies to the phase of the invention above referred to, is to provide mechanism for moving the material from one point to another, from which latter point the material is moved, more particularly elevated, by other mechanism to another point, which mechanism shall be operated by a. common power device and in such a manner that undue loading of the power device shall be, avoided; a further object being to accomplish this purpose by mechanism which shall be simple and economical of construction and positive in operation. p

Another phase of my invention relates particularly to the disposal of ashes which are discharged from locomotives in ,the

dumpin of their fire boxes.

the fire-boxes of locomotives to dump them ture for, handling, thus requiring that the ashes be handled in wet condition, entailing the necessity for employing much greater power for actuating the handling apparatus, n d: e n e ssa y e e the s e handled in dry condition.

Another of my objects, and one which relates to the has the invention in t ie e his o p o ide is? e a is es Heretofore it has been the commonpractice 1n dump ng extending continuously for a relatively great 3 handling of material dumped fIjQlI @1 6 fir+ x s i h ut W t ng it down I "1 R f r ng tot c ompa yi win Figure l a r ken P an ewet terial-handling apparatus embodying in'y improvements, the apparatus shown bein' intended for the handling of the, material dumped from fire bones of locomotives in 1 the cleaning out of the same. Figure '2 is section taken at the line 2,.2 On Fig. l and. viewed in the direction of the arrows, eer tain of the parts therein shown being rep nt d gram t allyi u f is a. broken plan view of the conveyor mecha nism forming apart of the apparatus of he P ed figu es. F gure 4' is a se czt gn f taken at the l ne H on Fig. 3 and viewed in the d rection of the arrows. vF1, u re 5 is a section taken at the line 5 5] an- Fig. 3.

and; viewed in the direction of the arrow: I

igure 6 s se n e nat t l e-6ft on'Figg 1 and viewed in the direction ,of' the rr ss ef i a se on aken the line7- 7 on 1 and viewed in'thedirection of the arrows. Figure 8 isaview end l vat on of heehaftof h d m or n a part of'thehoisting 'mecl anisnil, showing a detail of the mechanism bywhich the conveyor of Figs, 3, 4; and 5 is operated from the power device which actuates the bucket w,

mechanism. Figure Q is a section taken at the line 9-9 on Fig.8 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. Figure 10 is a view in elevation of the framework forming the superstructure of the apparatus asis common in material-elevating apparatus of the type employing a reciprocating bucket; and V Figure 11, a section taken at the line 111l on Fi 10 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. v

In accordance with the particularillus trated embodiment of my inventionl provide beneath the track representedat upon which the locomotives to be dumped.

run, a long narrow pit 18, the bottom wall 1 thereof, represented at 1.4, inclining in a direction crosswise of the pit to an outlet 15. in a wall of this pit, this outlet preferably length, as, for example, seventy five feet, the

bottom wall of this outlet being shown as;

formed of amember 16 which forms a continuation of thebottom l lof the pit 13, Outlet 5 ope n a supp emen a y Pit wal -t m. 9 h sk e ends in 1 Pleas below the lower edge of the plate portionjlti,

" te'rialdischarging from the pit 13- through. its outlet 15 and convey the material to a as shown in "Fig. 7, fthe pit "17 containing.

conveying means adapted to receive the ma hopper 18 located at one end ofthe pit 17 the upper end of the hopper 18 preferably.- extendin'g below the portion ofthe bottom shown being of the endless type and supported on rotatable members, as for example sprockets represented diagrammatically at 23, and 24, the power for driving the ,con-

. veyor being coi'nmunicated to the shaft of the sprocket24 in a manner hereinafter clescribed. The conveyor shown'lsformed at opposite'sides of series of plates 26' of' angle I shape in cross-sectionwith their ends overlappedand pivotally connected together as vthrough the medium of the pivoting devices shown at 27,these pivoting devices being provided at their outer ends with rollers 28 journ'aled thereon, and into the spaces be tweenwhich the teeth of the sprockets 23" and '24extend. Spanning thespaee between.

the plates '26 at theopposite sides of the conveyor' are crosswise-extending plates 29 the opposed edges of which are deflected in opposite directions, as represented at 30 and 31, at which portions they underlap and.

overlap, respectively, the plates 29 adjacent i journaled in the framework 39, the other end of the cable being connected with thereto, as shown more particularly in Figs.

- 3. and 4. The convey'or structure alsoinvolves a framework 32 located in the pit 17 'andprovided with upper and lower tracks 33 and 34 forming supports for the rollers 28, the tracks being preferably so shaped as to cause the 'conveyorproper to trav el in the path represented by dotted. lines in. Fig. 2, there beingiprovided above the" conveyor proper a rotatable member 35 which operates to cause the upper stretch of the conveyor proper toja-ssume the position shown in Fig. 2.

Z In the particularconstruction shown, the

* material received in the pit 13 in discharging upon the conveyor described, and thence,

into the hopper 18, is caused to be elevated from'this hopper to the desired height, as, for example, for discharge into cars in which it is transported 'to another location. To this end the appartus also comprises bucket mechanism which receives the material from thehopper 18 and lifts it to the. desired heightat Whicht-he bucket is dumped. The

bucket mechanism shown, which in general wise-extending plate-portion 51 when the apron 1s in'the position shown in (not shown) journaled at the upper end of the framework superstructure, represented generally at 39, the other end of this cable being shown as'connected with a hoist drum' hereinafter referred to. The bucket 36, in accordance wlth common pract ce,j1s' so mounted on a bail-like member 41, to which the cable 37 is connected, that the bucket may tilt thereon,'thebucket being of such form that it tends totilt to theright in Fig; 6. The frame 41 is guidingly confined at rollers 42 thereon in'vertical guides 43 form- "ing a part of the superstructure 39, the bucket being held against tilting on the frame 41 dur'ing'the lowering and raising of the bucket, by. rollers 44at .oppositesides of the bucket and engaging a virtical guide 45 which latter, in accordance with common practice, may reach short of the upper end of the pathof vertical movement of the bucket, whereby the bucket will be caused to automatically dump, by tilting to theright in Fig. 6,'upon reaching its uppermost position, for discharge of the material therefrom, as, for example,jto a chute 46 which.

may lead to any desirable point of delivery, as, for example, into a bunker 46 located above a car into which the elevated material is to be dumped. The apparatus also comprises a counterweight 40 shown as engaging vertical guides'47 formed as a part of the superstructure 39, the counterweight, which moves reversely to the movement of the. bucket,'be1ng connected with one end of a cable40 which extends over a pulley 38 the hoist-drum referred to.

I The chute 21'is shown as provided with .a gate 48 formed of side walls 49 extending at opposite sides of the chute 21 and at which the gate is pivoted to the chute, as the shaft50, the apron also comprising a cross which,

Fig. 6, forms a continuationof the chute and when the apron is swung upwardly to the.

left in .this 'figure forms a closure for the outer end of the chute. The apron, in the construction shown, is'automatically opened and closed responsive to the action of the bucket, by the actionof the bucket itself, To this end the apron 48 is pro-' vided with dependinglinks 52 arranged at opposite sides of the bucket 36, these links being pivotally' connected at theirupper ends, as indicated at 53,which the outer ends of the side plates 49 and at their lower endsby a cross-bar54 which extends into the path of downward movementof the bucket.

Then the apron 4:8 is in position for closing the chute 21, in which position it is held by weighting the apron as indicated at 55, the cross-bar 54 extends into the path of downward movement "of the bucket 36, and the latter in lowering to the position shown in Fig. 6 turns the apron l8 :to the position shown in this figure to permit the contents of the hopper 18 to dump into the bucket, the plate portion 51 of the apron48 in this position of the latter, extending across the adjacent upper edge "of the bucket, whereby when the bucket is elevated the apron 48 will be swung upwardly to return it to the position in which it closes the hopper 18.

The conveyor and the bucket are operated from a power device common thereto and, according to the construction shown, of common form as to its general features of construction. The power device referred to is shown as formed of a drum 56 provided about its periphery with a spiral groove in which the cable 37 is wound. In practice and in accordance with common construction, thecables 37 and 40 connected with the hoist drum as stated, extend upwardly therefrom whereby as one cable unwinds from the drum in the rotation of the latter in one direction, the other cable winds into the portion of the groove vacated by the unwinding cable. The drum 56, shown as operated by a motor 57, is, in accordance with common practice, rotated first in one direction and then in the opposite direction for raising the I loaded bucket from the position shown in Fig. 6 to its uppermost, dumping position, and thereafter to the loading position shown in this figure. The particular mechanism by which the reversing operations are effected, is :not illustrated, as such is com-- monly known in the art. By way of example, however, it may be stated that these reversal operations may be effected by the motor being of thepreversibl'e type and associated with any suitable form ofcu-rrentreversing means.

By preference the counterweight 40 :is of such weight as to substantially counterbalance the bucket 36 when the latter isempty, consequently the greatest load imposed on the hoisting mechanism occurs during the elevating oi? the bucket in filled position. In such an arrangement it is intended that the conveyor operating in the pit 17 beactuate'd only in alternation with the lifting movements of the bucket, it being preferred that the parts he so proportioned and arranged that practically the same power required for lifting the bucket 36 is required to be expended in operating the conveyor the pit 17 for moving material to the hopper 18. The mechanism shown for thus driving the conveyor comprises a pawl 5'8 pivoted, as represented at 59, 011 a disk secured to the outer end of the sha ftlolto whichthe drain 56 is connected, this pawl cooperating with a ratchet 62 provided on a sprocket 63 journale-d on the outer, end oat the 161 and shown as connected,:through the medium of a sprocket chain 6 1, with a sprocket 165 secured to the shaft 2-5. is held yieldingiy against the periphery of the ratchet 62, by means of a spring 66' cal? ried by the plate 60, is a one-way-operating pawl and serves, to actuate the sprocket only when the shaft 61 is being rotated in clockwise direction in Fig. '8, or, in other words, in the direction in which the hoisting drum '56 rotates in the lowering oi the bucket 36. 4

Furthermore, as the parts of the construction are proportioned as shown, and as they are, by preference, provided, :each operation of the conveyor in the pit 17' delivers to the hopper 18 aquantity or the material sufiicient only to form a. charge for the bucket 36, so that in each bucket-filling operation the hopper 18 is fully discharged oi the ma terial previously introduced therein.

Referring no'wto {the use of the apparatus in the disposal of "ashes from locomotives, as is well understood by those familiar with this operation, much of the material (dumped from the locomotive fire-boxes is in highly heated condition and of a more or less molten condition, and by dumping it ,into a comparatively long shallow pit, was in the case of the pit 13, it quickly cools and such of the mass thereof as becomes solidified is,

broken up, by ian attendant, for ready discharge through the outlet 15 of the pit, the

ashes being subject to still further cooling in their travel from the pit 13 to the bucket 36,. The result is that the ashes may be handled idry condition, in a very economical manner.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention, I :do not wish to be "understood as intending 5t!) limit it thereto as-the same may be .variou-sly modified land altered without departing it'rom the 'spiri-tof my invention.

.VVh'at I claiinas new, and "desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: 1. In materirahmovi'ng apparatus, the combination :of a member by which .the material is moved and which is movable alternately in opposite directions and requires for.

its movement in one direction the application of power tl1ereto, .means for applying power to said member to move the latter, and means for delivering material to said anember comprising a movable element and mechanism for driving :said element from said first-named means alternately with the application of power to "said member as stated.

2. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of a member by which :the ma terial Lis :IXJDVE'd. and which is movable alternately in opposite directions, means for operating-"said 'member, and means for delivering material to said member comprismg a movable element and mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means during the operation of the latter only while driving saicbmember' in a dire-f that tor conveylng the material is moved and which is movable alter-'- nately in opposite directions and requires for 1ts movement 1n one direction the application of power thereto, means for applying power to said member alternating in its directlon f movement, and means for delivering material to said member com-- rection.

prising a movable element and mechanism fordriving said element from said firstnlamed means alternately with the application of force to said member as stated.

4. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of a member by which the material is moved landwhich is movable alternately in opposite directions, meansfor operating saidmember alternating in its direction of movement, and vmeans for delivering materlal to sa1d member comprisinga movable element mechanismior driving said element from said first-named means during the operation of the latter only while driving said memberin a direction opposite that for conveying the material. 7

5. In material-moving apparatus, the

' combination of material-moving means involving an element which alternates in its direction of movement, and means for delivering material't'o said first-named means comprising a movable elementand mechanism for driving said movable element from said first-named element during the operation' of the latter in one direction only.

.6. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of hoisting mechanism including a bucket, means for operating said mechanism, and means for delivering ma terial to said bucket comprising a movable element and mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means only during the operation of the latter in operating said first-named mechanism in one di- 7. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of a hoisting bucket, means for operating said bucket, and means for de livering materialto said bucket comprising a movable element and mechanism for'driving said element from said'first-named means only during the lowering of the bucket.

8. In material-moving comprising a hoisting bucket and acounterweight therefor, said bucket requiring for its movement in one d1rect1on the application of apparatus, the. combination of material holstmg mechanism element, and ,mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means alternately with t he application of power to said 7 first 'ei erred-to mechanism, as stated.

9. In materiaLmoving apparatus, combination of hoisting mechanism comprising a hoisting bucket and a counterweight of such size that it requires application of power to said mechanism for raising the bucket when loaded, means for applyingpower to said mechanism to raise the loaded bucket, and means for delivering material to said bucket comprising a movable element and mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means in alternating with the operation of said first-named means in the raising of the loaded bucket.

10. In material-moving apparatus, the combination-of a member by which the'ma terial is moved ancl'which is movable alternately in opposite directions-and requires for its movement in one dlrectlon the-application otpower theretofa hoisting device.

driven in opposite directions alternately and in its movement 1n one dlrect-lon applymg power to sa1d member, and means for delivering material "to said member com prising a movable element and mechanism;

for driving said element from said hoisting device during the movement of the latter:

in a direction opposite to its movement last referred to, V

11. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of material-moving'means involving an element which alternates in its direction of movement, means for delivering material to said first-named means comprising an element movable in one direction, and means for driving sa1d last-referred-to element intermittently from said first-named element during the operations of the latter in one direction only. v i

12. In a material-handling apparatus, the

1 material from said hopper, and means "for conveyingintermittently operating said means in timed relation to said last-named means to charge said hopper with an amount of material suflicient only second-named means.

13. In material-moving apparatus, the

combination of a member by which the ma terial is moved and which is movable alter nately in opposite directions and requires for its movement in one directionthe application of power thereto, means for applying power to said. member. to-movethe-latter,

the o to charge said and means for delivering material to said member comprising a movable element and mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means alternately with the application of power to said member as stated and substantially throughout the period during which no power is'applied, by said first-named means, to said member.

14. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of a member by which the material is moved and which is movable alternately in opposite directions and requires for its movement in one direction the application of power thereto, means for applying power to said member to move the latter, and means for delivering material to said member comprising a collecting member, a device for feeding the material to said collecting member,and mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means alternately with the application of power to said member as stated.

15. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of a member by which the material is moved and which is movable alternately in opposite directions and requires for its movement in one direction the application of power thereto, means for applying power to said member to move the latter, and means for delivering material to said member comprising a collecting member, a device for feeding the material to said collecting member, and mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means alternately with the application of power to said member as stated and substantially throughout the period during which no power is applied, by said first-named means, to said member.

16. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of a hoisting bucket, a materialtransferring element and means operating to raise said bucket and actuate said elementsubstantially throughout only the period during which said bucket lowers.

17. In material-moving apparatus, the

combination of hoisting mechanism comprising a hoisting bucket and a counterweight of such size that it requires application of power to said mechanism for raising the bucket when loaded, means for applying power to said mechanism to raise the loaded,

bucket, and means for delivering material to said bucket comprising a movable elementand mechanism for driving said element from said first-named means in alternation with the operation of said first-named means in the raising of the loaded bucket and sub-' stantially throughout the period during whichthe bucket is being lowered.

19. In material-moving apparatus, the combination of a member by which the material is moved and which is movable alternately in opposite directions and requires for its movement in one direction the application of power thereto, a hoisting device driven in opposite directions alternately and in its movement in one direction applying power to said member, and means for delivering material to said member comprising a movable element and mechanism for driving said element from said hoisting device during substantially the entire movement of the latter in a direction opposite to its movement last referred to.

BARTON S. SNOW. 

